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No. In fact, solar panels protect and preserve the portion of roof they cover. Quality solar installations are done with the best practices required by roofing and weather proofing code, just like if you were getting a new roof.
The Florida Solar Rights Act is a law that forbids any entity—including homeowner associations—from prohibiting the installation of solar or other renewable energy devices on Florida buildings.
An association may require approval of a system installation and may establish restrictions for installations. However, any such restrictions must be reasonable, not arbitrary, and applied in a uniform manner for all association members. Also, any restrictions must not have the effect of impairing the performance, or increasing the cost, of a solar system.
In particular, a homeowner association may not prevent the installation of solar collectors on the roof of a home. The association may determine where on the roof the collectors may be installed, so long as the collectors face within 45 degrees of due south.
Finally, any requirement(s) that a system be screened from view by trees, fences, ground mounting racks, or a remote roof location that is hidden from the street, will generally violate the statute.
In Florida, homeowners have a federal solar tax credit also known as the investment tax credit (ITC), which typically enables you to deduct 26 percent of the total cost of installing a solar energy system from your federal taxes. The ITC applies to both residential and commercial systems, and there is no cap on its value. But not everyone qualifies.
Even if you install Tesla Powerwall backup batteries or a Generac generator, solar systems by law must be attached to the Florida utility grid through net metering.
Your solar system will continue working if the power goes out, but it will not produce electricity for your home unless you have a backup battery system, like Tesla Powerwall.
A solar energy system will reduce your dependence on the grid (leading to energy savings), and will still give you complete control of your energy demands. Meaning, you have the ability to choose how much energy you consume and what you use it for in your home.
Net metering is a nominal monthly fee. This enables homeowners to have access to electricity provided by power stations during times when solar energy is not available, like at night or during cloudy days. And any occasion your system produces excess energy that your home does not consume, your system will send the surplus back to the grid. If your utility offers net-metering, you are likely to be credited at full fair retail rates for the excess energy you are giving them, which will help lowering your bill even further.
Unlike many other technological devices, solar technology has not really changed since the 1960s. Each year, month, week or day you wait is another dollar you are paying to the fossil fuel energy company with zero return on your investment or contribution to the environment.Any further improvement is more likely to result in a reduced number of panels needed rather than increased overall efficiency.
Today’s solar energy systems present an amazing opportunity for homeowners to embrace positive social, environmental and financial benefits.
In case you are wondering our name is pronounced – vin – nyaah – sun. A derivative of the popular yoga term vinyasa. Vinyasun is delivering positive energy to homeowners with the choice of clean, affordable and reliable solar energy for $0 money down and rates that are more competitive than their fossil fuel utility provider.